1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk provided with a non-volatile memory, an optical disk unit using such an optical disk and a control method for the optical disk unit, and more particularly to an optical disk provided with a non-volatile memory enabling writing of data onto the optical disk adapted only for a reproduction of data recorded thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disk techniques are well known in which writing of data is carried out in a non-contact manner using a laser beam. In order to achieve data writing at a high speed and re-writing of data, developments of techniques for writing data at a high density are being made in association with optical disks. For example, short wave lasers and data writing/reading techniques for optical disks have been developed. Also, a variety of optical disks having various functions and capacities have been proposed by virtue of developments in digital techniques.
For instance, compact disks (CD's) and digital video disks (DVD's) have been proposed which have a high data writing capacity and a data re-writing function. However, such optical disks are expensive. Moreover, optical disk units adapted to use such optical disks are expensive. For this reason, read only optical disks such as compact disk read only memories (CD-ROM's) and digital video disc read only memories (DVD-ROM's) are presently widely used.
Storage media such as CD-ROM's and DVD-ROM's are configured to read data recorded when manufactured. Where such storage media are recorded with a computer program for recording specific information such as user information, passwords or scores of games, it is necessary to record the information in a separate auxiliary storage unit, having a data writing function, such as a hard disk drive. In this case, accordingly, a separate setup procedure should be executed upon using a storage medium such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM in order to connect the auxiliary storage unit to the storage medium, thereby recording necessary information onto the auxiliary storage unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,854 to Satoh et al. entitled Disc Having a Data Read-Only Area and a Data Recording Arm and a Recording Reproducing System Therefor, disclose a read only type optical disc, and disc drive apparatus for reading/additionally writing data into the disc. The disc is disclosed as having a recording material formed in all of the tracks by which data can be additionally recorded on the disc, with the optical disc having a plurality of sectors forming a data read-only area and a write/read area. It is disclosed that each area has track sectors each having a sector identifier portion in which address information is recorded and a data field portion to record data, with data-field identification flags indicative of the read-only area and the write/read area are recorded in the respective identifier portions. Dummy sectors are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,363 to Satoh et al. entitled Optical Disk Having an Index Mark, disclose an optical recording disk having groove-like guide tracks, a rotation index mark being provided to indicate a rotation starting point where the rotation index mark is constructed of a grooved-like phase structure. It is disclosed that the rotation index mark can be formed in a track which is located separated from the information recording tracks, and can be detected optically without using a laser light beam. It is disclosed that the rotation index mark is used to control the rotation of the disk as well as a writing and reading operation of an optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus so that various information, such as video signals, can be accurately recorded and reproduced. In the case of recording digital signals, it is disclosed that the guide tracks can be divided into a plurality of sector regions, and sector index marks corresponding to respective sector regions can also be formed together with the rotation index mark. Also, it is disclosed that an address index mark indicative of the position of a track address region radially formed in the guide tracks can also be added.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,598 to Sako et al. entitled Optical Disk Having Relatively Wide Ram Tracks and Relatively Narrow Rom Tracks, disclose a record medium having a pre-formed recording track with a recordable area on the recording track in which data is recorded and an area on the recording track used exclusively for reproduction in which data is pre-recorded by displacing the track in the track width direction and in which the track width of the data recordable area is wider than that of the area used exclusively for reproduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,599 to Fukushima et al. entitled Information Recording Medium Having Dummy Tracks and Information Recording and Reproducing Apparatus, disclose a disk-shaped information recording medium using an MCAV format, wherein a plurality of tracks are divided in a radial direction of the disk to form plural zones, at the boundary of which a dummy track area is formed by dummy tracks on which a discrimination signal is recorded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,608 to Sakagami et al. entitled Apparatus for Recording and Reproducing Information on and from a Recording Medium Having a Reference Position Mark, disclose an information recording-reproducing apparatus including a light source for emitting a light beam, a lens device for imaging the light beam from the light source on an optical information recording medium, a photodetector for receiving light from the recording medium and for outputting a plurality of types of signals, a detector for detecting a mark indicative of a reference position on the recording medium on the basis of a corresponding signal from the photodetector and for outputting a signal, a device for initiating auto-tracking on the basis of the signal from the detector, a tracking actuator for moving a lens device, and a device for controlling the tracking actuator to start recording and reproduction of information from a predetermined position on the recording medium after the auto-tracking has been initiated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,886 to Satoh et al. entitled Composite Optical Disc Having Both a Data Read-Only Area and a Data Rewritable Area, and a Recording/Reproducing System for Use Therewith, disclose a composite read-only and rewritable type optical disc, and a disc drive apparatus for reading/writing data into the disc. It is disclosed that the optical disc has a plurality of sectors forming a data read-only area and a write/read area, with the disc including a recording film formed over its entire surface by which data can be recorded on the disc. It is also disclosed that each area has track sectors each having a sector identifier portion in which address information is recorded and a data field portion to record data, with data-field identification flags indicative of the read-only area and the write/read area being recorded in the respective identifier portions. It is disclosed that on reading or writing this optical disc, the data field identification flag is detected to identify the kind of related area, i.e., whether it is a read-only area or a write/read area. Dummy sectors are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,627 to Nakashima et al. entitled Optical Disk Having Read-Exclusive and Write-Enable Regions, disclose an optical disk provided with read-exclusive regions where previously recorded information can be read, and with write-enable regions where information can be written. It is disclosed that information not desired to be rewritten can be recorded on the read-exclusive region, with the write-enable regions being open to users to freely add information thereto and to re-write information recorded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,494 to Ohno et al. entitled Method for Recording and Reproducing Information on and from an Optical Disk Having a Read-Only Recorded Zone and a Writable and Readable Zone Using a Spot Laser Light, disclose an optical disk provided with a pre-recorded ROM zone and at least one of the write-once zone and an erasable-writable zone. It is disclosed that two types of information are pre-recorded in the ROM zone, including first information for controlling reading from and writing to the non-ROM zone or zones, and second information for use in data information production. It is disclosed that information is recorded and read as localized differences in reflectivity on the disk. It is disclosed that data information is created using second information read from the ROM zone, and is written to and reproduced from the non-ROM zone or zones.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,673 to Okazaki entitled Partial Rom Type Optical Disk and its Recording and Reproducing Apparatus, discloses an optical disk provided with a ROM area for reproduction only, in which information for reproduction only and first retrieval information for retrieving the information for reproduction only are recorded in embossed shape and a rewritable area in which information can be additionally recorded or rewritten, wherein on the basis of each of a plurality of additionally recording and rewriting logical specifications of respective appliances utilizing the optical disk, the first retrieval information is converted into second retrieval information, wherein the second retrieval information corresponds to at least one of the appliances and is recorded in the rewritable area together with third retrieval information for the additionally recordable and rewritable information so as to be additionally recordable or rewritable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,762 to Kubo et al. entitled Detection Apparatus for Detecting Sector Marks of Optical Disk and Optical Disk Access Apparatus, disclose a sector mark detection apparatus which detects a sector mark added to an arbitrary sector of an optical disk when seeking the arbitrary sector, where the optical disk has a predetermined recording format in which a predetermined number of sectors are arranged on the optical disk. It is disclosed a sector mark detection apparatus is provided with a gate signal generating circuit for generating a predetermined number of gate signals at predetermined intervals based on timings between pulse signals which are read from the optical disk, a mark length generating circuit for generating mark length data related to lengths of the sector marks from the read pulse signals based on the timings, a counter circuit for measuring widths of the gate signals by counting at a predetermined frequency and for outputting counted values, a matching circuit for comparing the counted values and match data and for outputting a matched result, and a judging circuit for judging the sector mark of the arbitrary sector based on the mark length data and the matching result.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,867 to Miyauchi et al. entitled Optical Recording Medium Having a Dummy Area at Leading and/or Trailing Positions of Recording Area, disclose a recording medium having a dummy signal area on at least one side of a recording area being used and information being recorded with a dummy signal added to at least one of the leading and trailing sides in the recorded information signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,653 to Okada et al. entitled Single-Substrate Multi-Layer Optical Disk for Read-Only Storage and Phase Change Rewritable Storage, disclose an optical disk including a transparent rigid substrate, a phase change rewritable optical recording medium formed on the transparent rigid substrate, a transparent spacer formed on the phase change rewritable optical recording medium and having a grooved surface for storing information, and a reflecting layer formed on the grooved surface of the transparent spacer, with the grooved surface of the transparent spacer and the reflecting layer forming a read-only recording medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,058 to Iwamura et al. entitled Optical Disk Cartridge and an Optical Disk Drive Using The Same, disclose an optical disk cartridge including a cartridge body formed with an opening at an edge thereof such that an optical disk can be taken out and returned from and to the optical disk cartridge. It is disclosed that the opening is closed by a cover lid that is formed as an integral body of the cartridge body.